


Left Behind

by sharedwithyou



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Iron Man (Movies), Iron Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst and Humor, Angstangstangst, F/M, FEELSFEELSFEELS, Fluff and Angst, Kind of AU, Mindfuck, Slightly non-canon, Spoilers, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, mostly angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-15
Updated: 2016-05-15
Packaged: 2018-06-08 14:01:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6857902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sharedwithyou/pseuds/sharedwithyou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>WARNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<br/>CIVIL WAR SPOILERS!!!!<br/>I REPEAT CIVIL WAR SPOILERS!!!!<br/>SCROLL ON IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You shouldn’t be trying to lose weight, Rhodey, if that’s what you’re saying. You look like hell. I think I’ll get you another piece of cake.”<br/>“That would be my fourth since this morning. I don’t think gaining weight is the best thing for me right now.”<br/>“Shut up and let me feed you.”<br/>“She just wants you so fat you won’t be able to run away. Like everyone else she cares about has.”<br/>Still miffed about your joke earlier, Tony decided to come back and be an ass.<br/>“I guess that explains why you’re still here, Anthony.”<br/>“Okay, I think my physical therapist has cleared me for a walk out the door.”<br/>The two of you maintained angry eye contact for the full 10 minutes it took for the War Machine to finally get out of there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Left Behind

**Author's Note:**

> MY HEARTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT  
> i finally watched civil war earlier and all i can say is MY HEARTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
> 
> and i think this is the perfect fic to end the day (and the movie) with
> 
> so WARNING: SPOILERS  
> I REPEAT  
> SPOILERS FOR CIVIL WAR
> 
> which is a huge bummer because a lot of my lovelies haven't seen it yet and therefore won't be here to comment til later  
> and you KNOW how much i love your comments
> 
> this fic has lots of feels. AND ANGST. but mostly feels.  
> and mostly sums up how i feel about the situation.
> 
> Pleaseeee give me some love, lovelies!!! in desperate need of it!!!
> 
> XOXO Bucky (but not the Winter Soldier)
> 
> oh yeah the ~~~~~ are flashbacks if that's not clear  
> and it's a little AU- but it's my usual universe so meh

 

“Who you gotta call? Those bastards!”

“It’s Ghost Busters (y/n).”

“Whatever. The message stays.”

“You’re right. Rogers is a bastard.”

“And… you should call him. Bingo.”

“Step off, (y/n).”

Tony got off the couch he was slumped in, and walked away from the Gilmore Girls marathon.

“You’re gonna miss the wet t-shirt contest!”

“I got your wet t-shirt contest right here,” he muttered, before tossing the remote in the fishbowl so you couldn’t change the show. Drat. He knew you hated this show.

“And I’m kicking you off my Netflix account.”

Double dukes!!

 

“You know he’s stubborn.”

“Says the guy wriggling like a worm on the ground. Let me help you out, Rhodey.”

“Nope. This worm’s helping himself up. And I’ll have you know The Worm was a very cool dance move back in my day.”

“Yeah? Was that when the earth cooled, or after the dinosaurs went extinct?”

“Very funny. Aren’t you in love with an 100-year-old?”

“Low blow,” you growled, and he relented, giving you an apologetic smile and letting you drag him onto the sofa.

He patted the seat next to him, so you dropped like a fly onto it with a thud.

“I know you miss him, (y/n).”

“I know you’re black, James.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“I thought we were both stating the obvious.”

“Snarky, aren’t you? Are you sure you and Stark aren’t secretly related?”

“If so, it would make the incident 2 years ago very very awkward.”

“Hah. Wait, what incident?!”

 

~~~~~~

 

“You had sex with him??!!”

“Yes, Bucky. That is what I mean when I say slept with. I mean sexual relations, and not the mere sharing of the bed.”

“I guess I phrased it wrong. YOU slept with HIM?!?!”

“Oh, yeah. That makes more sense.” You tossed your hair. “I could do way better.”

“Which I assume you’re doing now.”

“Way to pat yourself on the back there, Frosty.”

“Since the two of us haven’t actually done anything yet, I’d say it was more of an easy assumption.”

“Shush. Tony is very sensitive about his tiny penis.”

 

“My what?!?!”

“Nothing; go back to watching porn Iron Face.”

“Yeah, yeah.” The egomaniac stopped eavesdropping and turned to his pervy obsession once more.

 

“Anyway, since we’re doing the full disclosure thing, I figured I’d mention it.”

“I meant possible felonies, and, you know, war crimes.”

“Oh. Well then, no.”

“Although the Stark thing was good to know. I’ll get tested.”

“Oh for cryin-“ Bucky put a metal palm on your mouth to shush your bickering. “It was a joke, (y/n).”

“Glad you’re learning what those are.” You mumbled through his fingers, and he withdrew them, rubbing his face awkwardly.

“Yeah. Steve’s been… working on my social skills.”

“Lots of heart to hearts, then?”

“Ish.”

“No bro-sex though, right?”

“Wh- NO.”

“Okay, good. Because I like virgins.”

His eyes bugged out and you felt the warm rush of pride that you’d get whenever you freaked him out.

Like even as damaged as he was now, he could still be flabbergasted by your dirtiness.

“Nah, you’re probably not. Steve said you were a big player back in your heyday.”

“Even I think that word is old, (y/n).”

“Keep talking, and you’ll be 0-1 to Tony, big guy.”

“Right.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

You snapped back to the present, as James walked gingerly towards the TV to change the channel.

“Tony had a hissy fit and threw away the remote.”

“It’s fine, I could use the exercise.”

“You shouldn’t be trying to lose weight, if that’s what you’re saying. You look like hell. I think I’ll get you another piece of cake.”

“That would be my fourth since this morning. I don’t think gaining weight is the best thing for me right now.”

“Shut up and let me feed you.”

“She just wants you so fat you won’t be able to run away. Like everyone else she cares about has.”

Still miffed about your joke earlier, Tony decided to come back and be an ass.

“I guess that explains why you’re still here, Anthony.”

“Okay, I think my physical therapist has cleared me for a walk out the door.”

The two of you maintained angry eye contact for the full 10 minutes it took for the War Machine to finally get out of there.

 

~~~~~~~

 

“I hope you at least wore a helmet.”

“Yes, Tony. And our date went great, thanks for asking.”

“Then I hope you used protection too.”

“This coming from the guy who refused to wear a condom-“

“Okay! TMI!” Steve waved his hands in the air as the rest of the group tried valiantly to look like they were doing anything but listening in.

“It’s getting late, anyway. I should go.” Bucky tucked the extra helmet under his elbow and gave you a quick nod.

“You do that, Wonderboy.”

“God, why are you always such an ass to him?!” You turned to Tony, annoyed.

“You forget. I’m an ass. Full stop.”

“Yes, but especially to him!”

“I have a right to be suspicious, don’t I?”

“If I trust him, so should you!”

“You don’t get to decide what I think, Missy!”

“Goodnight, (y/n).” Bucky finally interrupted your little non-lover’s tiff with Tony by stepping in and giving you a quick kiss on the cheek.

You turned to grab him and give him one full-on but somehow he was out the door.

“See? Hit it and quit it. Just like I suspected.”

“You scared him away, dumbass.”

“Oh like a guy who’s done the shit he has would be scared of anything.”

“Don’t go there.” Your eyes darkened, and for once Tony backed down. By walking out of the room whistling Dixie. Mature.

 

“Do you really need to put him in the middle of everything?”

“Put?! Him?! I don’t even-“ You exhaled deeply as Nat the Cat bit her lip. “I didn’t ask your opinion, Tasha.”

“Yeah. I figured.” She turned back to the poker table and put in her bid.

If only everyone else would leave you alone that easily.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

You woke from your reminiscing again, this time when something landed sharply on your knee.

“OW! Fuck!”

“If you want to see him so bad, you call.”

You stared at the phone that had bounced onto the floor again.

It took every single fiber of your being not to pick it up and run to your room. Pack your things and be on your way.

Instead, you stared straight at Tony without a second glance at the ground. “There’s a reason Cap gave you the phone and not me.”

“Because you’d change the ringtone to Soulja Boy again?”

“Hey! Kiss me thru the phone was a perfect ringtone! Not to mention witty!”

“God, what did he ever see in you?”

This should’ve stung, but the bruises highlighting the dark circles under his eyes bothered you more.

“I could ask you the same thing Tony.”

“It was one time. I was drunk. Very. Drunk.”

“Yeah, keep telling yourself that.”

“I will, thank you very much.”

“You’re welcome.”

The two of you lapsed into a bitter silence, as you fought the urge to reach for the phone.

“It’s up to you, Stark. It’s your choice, your decision. Always has been.”

“That’s right. Let the men do the work.”

“Be a misogynistic bastard.”

“You know I can kick you out, right?”

“You couldn’t if you wanted to. ‘Cause you’d never want to.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

You had a million comebacks for this, but you bit back the banter.

 

“I chose to stay, Tony. And it was the hardest thing I ever had to do.”

 

“I know.”

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

“So, are you Team America or Team Egomania?”

“The way you’re advertising sounds a little skewed.”

“You’re a little skewed?” He tried the comeback, but it came out like a question.

You laughed. “You’re not doing it right, Bucky.”

“That’s what she said.”

“Ugh. Put me on Team America. Stat.”

“Traitor!” Tony wagged his finger at you as he took the last bucket of water balloons. “Well you’re all gonna be sorry.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. Because I’m using my suit.”

A second later, a huge red machine came barreling by, knocking you and Bucky onto the ground.

“Bitch!” You turned to glare at flying menace, before a projectile whizzed by your ear.

“Good luck dodging this!!”

As Tony pummeled you with balloons, and Bucky shielded you with his metal arm while the two of you sprinted away, you thought about how amazing it was that he was finally coming around.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“You know, if you’d made your decision earlier, we might have been spared a lot of trouble.”

“Fat chance.” An orange landed in your lap. Lunchtime. Also, truce.

“Of course, you might have gone all back-stabby like Nat.”

“Give her a break. At least she’s still in town. Relatively.”

“Not that you would. You’ve never been a good double agent. You like to punch people in the face on sight.”

“It’s how we met, didn’t we?”

Tony let out a chuckle, remembering when you were first introduced. He thought you were his new secretary, and you socked him in the jaw. That was also probably the very second you and Clint became best friends.

“One of the only times Hawk fell out of a vent. Laughing.”

“He wasn’t so jolly in that blue jumpsuit.”

“You put him there.”

“And you could’ve stopped me.”

You turned, furious all of a sudden, and flung the orange at him. He dodged, and you heard the fishbowl crash. Poor Barney.

Tony, however, continued. “Or, you could’ve been there with me.

But no, you stayed home. Like a little bitch.”

“Like I should’ve!” You countered angrily. “Like we all should have!!”

“Pick a side!! That’s what you should’ve done! Everyone else did!”

“And look how that turned out!” You waved your arms around the big, empty tower. “Great plan, Tony. So now, what? It’s me, half of James, possibly a 16 year old. And two big guys, both AWOL.”

“We know where Thor is.”

“Another planet. Yippee.”

He lowered his voice, but it was still hard. “You should have been there, (y/n).”

“Yeah?” You, on the other hand, felt your voice rising. “Where, exactly? In the middle?! Where I always am?”

“I didn’t ask you to fall for the enemy.”

“And I didn’t ask you to make him one!”

He spit on the ground, and cursed. “You don’t know the things that he did.”

“I knew enough.”

“Enough to still want him?! Enough to turn on your conscience?!”

“You’re yelling at the only one still here!” You started coughing, having exerted your voice way too much.

His eyes narrowed, and he let his hands drop from his combative stance.

When your voice came back, it was softer. “Look at Nat. That’s what being on both sides looks like.”

“Looks like a double-crossing spy.”

“Looks like wanting the best for everyone.” You let out a breath. “Looks like losing twice.”

“Being a Stark means being a winner.”

“Heh.” You coughed again, for effect. “Good thing I never became one, then.”

“Please. Like I’d have ever proposed.”

You let out a dry laugh. “Like I’d have ever said yes.”

And there you were, word for word, blow for blow.

A match.

 

“How is she?”

“How do you think?” Steve shook his head and paced around the room. “This isn’t good for either of you.”

“Well, we’re not exactly going long-distance now. So that breakup you’ve been hoping for is basically this.”

“I only wanted the two of you safe.”

“Sorry. Occupational hazard says otherwise.”

He hesitated, looking at his best friend for a long moment, before reaching into his pocket.

“She asked me to give you this.”

Bucky looked over, expecting the locket he’d given you to be dangling from Steve’s fingers. Instead, he saw only the chain.

“She kept the charm. Said it was like holding on to your heart.”

Bucky shook his head; you were such a hopeless romantic.

Hopeless enough to hope in even him.

“And she wants the chain back.”

Steve let out a sad laugh. “When you can put it on her yourself.”

Bucky reached for the chain, letting it twist between his fingers.

“She’ll be waiting a long time.”

“I think she knows.”

 

You stared at the brunette before you now, with his tired, chocolate brown eyes.

He looked back, unflinching, resigned but not defeated.

Finally, he asked the question he’d been longing to since the world as he’d known it had been shattered.

“Why’d you do it?

Why’d you stay?”

You felt your knees buckle then, as if the weight that had settled upon you was suddenly too much.

Before you hit the floor, you felt Tony’s arms slip under yours to steady you.

He gazed down at you, in his arms, and felt a rush of nostalgia.

“Did you finally decide…you loved me more than him?”

You looked down at your feet, limp. You wanted so bad to say yes; to finally stop letting someone down. But you didn’t know.

“I love Bucky.”

He acknowledged this, but his eyes pressed for more.

“But I believed in you.”

You weren’t sure if those were the words he wanted to hear, but it was the truth.

“Every force needs a bad cop. Every group needs a bad boy.

And every hero needs a bad guy.”

“I’ve never been one for rules.” His voice cracked.

“And yet here you are, signing treaties in the crumbles of some hellish nightmare. Fielding calls while the rest run for the hills. Letting down your friends, so, what?”

“So what indeed.”

“So they can escape while you stay behind.”

He let out a laugh so dry, it left you parched. “You make me sound like some anti-hero.”

You let out a scoff. “You’re no anti-hero, Stark.”

“Right. That’s the Winter Soldier. Bloodstained and somehow saving the world.”

He let his hands fall to his sides, so you could walk away. You stared out at the horizon, wondering if you’d ever see Bucky again.

You’d never wonder if you made the right choice.

“In a world of man-made justice, you’ve shown your pride, your genius, your ego.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

“You’ve shown your humanity.” You blinked away the tears as you thought of your locket, locked away in a drawer, so you wouldn’t have to look at it and remember it wasn’t whole. “You’ve admitted your wrongs. And you’ve opened yourself to the fallout; standing in the face of a billion people who want answers; who want punishment for crimes you haven’t committed.

And yet, you’re still here.”

“I’ve never been one to run away.” He took your place staring out into the sky. “And neither have you.”

“Steve did what was right by him.” You squeezed your eyes shut, hating this. “But you? You did right by us all. Whether they agree or not.”

He joined you by your side again. “Not all of us get to do what we want.”

“Why should it be you? You’re the one who gets away with things; the one who doesn’t need the rules.”

“What can I say? I’m a rebel.”

“You like to play the bad boy. But I’ve figured you out, Anthony Howard Stark.”

“And?”

“And…” You took in a shaky breath, so he could hear the tears in your voice. “In your flaws; you’re the purest of them all.”

 

Later, curled up on the couch next to a dozing Tony, you wondered with all of your heart, hoping somehow he’d hear.

Tell me, Bucky.

In your blue mist; can you miss me?

Because I miss you already.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> BOOHOOHOOOOO
> 
> Leave a comment below!!!
> 
> Random ramblings:  
> Poll 1: WHOOOOO?!?!?!?!  
> i'm going with tony. because tony is my first love.  
> also because tony is cast as the bad guy. and i always root for the anti-hero
> 
> because here's the thing  
> if it were up to me i'd run away and start a new adventure with steve and everyone else
> 
> BUT someone needs to take the fall. WHICH. is why i am team tony. because in order for team steve to go and be free, you need someone to stay and clean up the mess. and to distract. which is where the title comes from
> 
> UGHHHHHHHHH  
> MY HEARTTTTTTTTT
> 
> although since i never watched the whole winter soldier, watching civil war i kind of fell in love with bucky too. even though TONY is my first love.
> 
> but bucky is so cool man. like whenever he fights, he just looks fucking amazing. he is NATURALLY cool. idk how. it's mindblowing
> 
> poll 2:  
> WHICH PART HURT THE MOST.  
> mine is when tony asks who lovely loves more  
> because i don't have an answer  
> yes tony and lovely had a fling; but it was obviously deeper than that as you can tell from their banter and stuff
> 
> obviously it's a little AU since Tony doesn't even meet Bucky later. but most of you are used to my universe now; where bucky comes and goes sometimes. in this case he comes into your life and steals you away-ish. in the end, you stick with tony.
> 
> i feel so much hurt for tony in this one. because he's the maverick and even though steve plays the vigilante here i think we can all see how Tony had to take the fall
> 
> UGHHH MY HEARTTTT
> 
> I HAVE NO MORE QUICK POLLS. I HURT. MY HEARTTTTTTTTT
> 
> i really wanted to end with you curled up in tony's arms thinking about bucky, but instead you're next to tony on the couch, because ANGST.  
> and because you really love them both, but right now you're in love with Bucky and you're not jumping boats so quickly.  
> although if you read between the lines you could say maybe you're also in love with tony.  
> so basically the reason you're not in tony's arms at the end is BECAUSE ANGST.  
> MY HEARTTTTTTTTTT
> 
> give me some love below, lovelies, because I'M DYING.
> 
> XOXO Bucky (not as cool as the Winter Soldier Bucky though)


End file.
